Rockies lose third straight, keep lead in wild card race

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San Francisco Giants second baseman Joe Panik, left, throws to first base after forcing out Colorado Rockies' Charlie Blackmon at second base on a double play hit into by DJ LeMahieu during the fifth inning of a baseball game in San Francisco, Tuesday, Sept. 19, 2017. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu)

San Francisco Giants starting pitcher Matt Moore throws to the Colorado Rockies during the first inning of a baseball game Wednesday, Sept. 20, 2017, in San Francisco. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)

San Francisco Giants starting pitcher Matt Moore throws to the Colorado Rockies during the first inning of a baseball game Wednesday, Sept. 20, 2017, in San Francisco. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)

Colorado Rockies starting pitcher Tyler Chatwood throws to the San Francisco Giants during the first inning of a baseball game Wednesday, Sept. 20, 2017, in San Francisco. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)

Colorado Rockies' Trevor Story, left, is caught in a run down before being tagged out by San Francisco Giants first baseman Pablo Sandoval (48) after getting picked off first base during the fourth inning of a baseball game in San Francisco, Tuesday, Sept. 19, 2017. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu)

San Francisco Giants' Pablo Sandoval points skyward as he stands on second base with a double during the second inning of a baseball game against the Colorado Rockies, Wednesday, Sept. 20, 2017, in San Francisco. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)

San Francisco Giants' Hunter Pence, right, is congratulated after hitting a two-run home run that scored Johnny Cueto, left, against the Colorado Rockies during the fifth inning of a baseball game in San Francisco, Tuesday, Sept. 19, 2017. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu)

Colorado Rockies starting pitcher Tyler Chatwood throws to the San Francisco Giants during the first inning of a baseball game Wednesday, Sept. 20, 2017, in San Francisco. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)

San Francisco Giants' Buster Posey singles during the first inning of a baseball game against the Colorado Rockies, Wednesday, Sept. 20, 2017, in San Francisco. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)

San Francisco Giants second baseman Joe Panik, left, throws to first base after forcing out Colorado Rockies' Charlie Blackmon at second base on a double play hit into by DJ LeMahieu during the fifth inning of a baseball game in San Francisco, Tuesday, Sept. 19, 2017. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu)

SAN FRANCISCO – Jonathan Lucroy is confident the Colorado Rockies will find their swagger again, and fast. Their playoff hopes depend on it.

If the rookies dressing up in Denver Broncos jerseys for a flight to Southern California does the trick to loosen up this group, the catcher is all for it.

Colorado starter Tyler Chatwood dug himself an early hole against the Giants and now the Rockies’ lead for the second NL wild card is in jeopardy after a 4-0 loss to last-place San Francisco on Wednesday, the club’s third straight defeat.

“It’s natural for younger players and guys that have never been there before to press when you get close to crunch time,” Lucroy said. “We’re going to take a step back and have some fun today on the flight with our football team we have. Hopefully it will loosen some guys up and try to get back after the Padres. All we can control is our effort and our work. … This is the most talented lineup I’ve ever been a part of. This lineup’s too good to be held down like that. It was going to come down the wire anyway, we knew that.”

Joe Panik hit a one-out triple in the first off Chatwood (8-13) and immediately scored on Denard Span’s sacrifice fly, then Panik doubled in the third and came home on Buster Posey’s sacrifice fly.

The Rockies’ wildcard advantage had been trimmed to one game by the Brewers to begin the day, and stayed there after the Pittsburgh Pirates won 6-4 with an Adam Frazier two-run walkoff home run on Wednesday.

Brandon Crawford hit a solo homer in the third to back Matt Moore (6-14), who earned his first win against Colorado after going 0-2 over his first three outings of the year.

After two straight 4-3, walkoff setbacks, the Rockies lost for the fifth time in seven games overall following a six-game win streak. Colorado dropped a fifth straight at AT&T Park for its longest skid at the waterfront ballpark since losing nine in a row from Aug. 11, 2012-April 10, 2013.

“This time of year, it’s natural for all of us to magnify things, because it’s coming down to the end,” Rockies manager Bud Black said. “And that’s great, which is what we want. That’s what players want, that’s what we want as an organization, to be in this situation.”

Moore struck out six and walked two over six innings, allowing six hits. He was chased in the seventh after back-to-back singles, and Steven Okert entered to face pinch-hitter Pat Valaika. Colorado couldn’t capitalize.

Panik added an RBI single in the seventh, missing hitting for the cycle by a home run. Pablo Sandoval hit two doubles.

The Rockies will wrap up their road schedule with four games at San Diego beginning today, two victories from tying the 2009 club for most road wins in franchise history (41-40) – the only time the team has finished above .500 away from Coors Field.

Colorado finished 12-7 against the Giants this season but are 3-6 at AT&T Park after being swept in a three-game series June 26-28 and again in this quick two-game set. The Rockies missed matching a franchise record of 13 wins against one opponent in a season, having won 13 against Arizona in 2004.

HIT PARADE

DJ LeMahieu’s first-inning single gave him 30 hits in 2017 against the Giants, the most by a Rockies player in one season vs. San Francisco in franchise history. Juan Pierre is the only other Colorado player to have 30 hits against one opponent in a season: against Arizona in 2002 and ’01 vs. the Dodgers.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Rockies: RF Carlos Gonzalez had a planned day off to rest. … Chad Bettis will start Saturday at San Diego, the right-hander’s eighth start this season after returning from his treatment with testicular cancer.

UP NEXT

Rockies: LHP Tyler Anderson (5-5, 5.28) faces the Padres for his second straight start after earning the win in a 16-0 victory Saturday at Coors Field.